Type 346 radar explained

Type 346
Country:	China
Type:	Air search
Frequency:	S band
Range:	400 km (Type 346A)

The Type 346 radar (NATO/OSD Dragon Eye) is a naval S band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar developed in the People's Republic of China by the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology. It has been an integral component of Chinese naval air defense systems since entering service in 2004 with the Type 052C destroyer, the first Chinese warships with area air defence capability.^[1]

Development

The Type 346 was developed by the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology Further development may have been assisted by the examination of foreign technology; the Type 051C destroyers used 30N6EI Tombstone phased-array Flap Lid antennae from Russia, and in 2004 a prototype C band active phased-array radar and its design package were purchased from the Kvant Design Bureau of Ukraine.

Variants

Type 346

Initial version. The arrays are covered by convex panels. It entered service with the Type 052C destroyer.

Type 346A

This version has a reported range of 400 km. and uses flat covering panels. It entered service with the Type 052D destroyer.

Type 346B

This version uses panels that are 40% larger than the Type 346A for a reported 60% increase in range. It entered service with the Type 055 destroyer.

References

Sources

Caldwell . Daniel . Freda . Joseph . Goldstein . Lyle J. . February 2020 . China's Dreadnought? The PLA Navy's Type 055 Cruiser and Its Implications for the Future Maritime Security Environment . CMSI China Maritime Reports . 5 . . 9 April 2020 .
Book: Kirchberger, Sarah . 2015 . Assessing China's Naval Power: Technological Innovation, Economic Constraints, and Strategic Implications . Global Power Shift . Springer . 978-3-662-47127-2 .
Book: Kirchberger, Sarah . Kirchberger . Sarah . Sinjen . Svenja . Wörmer . Nils . 2022 . Russia-China Relations: Emerging Alliance or Eternal Rivals? . Global Power Shift . Russian-Chinese Military-Technological Cooperation and the Ukrainian Factor . https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-97012-3_5 . Springer . 75-100 . 978-3-030-97012-3.
Tate . Andrew . 2017 . China heads for a step change in naval capabilities . Jane's 360 . 28 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180713134822/http://www.janes.com/images/assets/621/75621/China_heads_for_a_step_change_in_naval_capabilities.pdf . 13 July 2018 . live . dmy-all .

Notes and References

Cole . Bernard D. . What Do China's Surface Fleet Developments Suggest about Its Maritime Strategy? . CSMI Red Book . July 2017 . 14 . 23 . . 978-1-935352-45-7 . 22 May 2019 .